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Kansas' agricultural trademark program, From the Land of Kansas, invites tailgaters to participate in the second annual From the Land of Kansas Tailgate Contest. The contest, presented by Manhattan Hy-Vee, will be held September 5, 2015 prior to the Kansas State University vs. South Dakota football game.

While much of the programming I develop is directed toward adults, I also enjoy sharing information with children of all ages. Nothing pleases me more than sharing nutrition information with a young person and then meeting up with them again and have them say, "Hey, I remember you; you told us to eat more vegetables, or less pop, or whole grains..." Encouraging people of all ages to make healthy food choices is becoming a huge part of my job and I love it!

What gas is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, but is cited as the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers? If you guessed radon you are absolutely right. A grant program has provided me with a supply of radon test kits that I am selling for $1, making this the perfect time to test your home.

School bells will be ringing in a few days and that means pre-schoolers through college aged kids will be adapting to their new schedules. What about the rest of you; those of you reading this column who may not be formally enrolled in a school but who consider yourself a life-long learner? I love adult learners. That is probably what has kept me excited and energized to continue in my Extension career. No matter what your age there are opportunities everywhere to learn something new and apply it in your daily life.

Long before Hollywood screenwriters ever crafted the personality of Clark Griswold there was another father with a penchant for long family vacations with attendant misadventures. His name was Larry Keenan. And so when Worlds of Fun opened for business in May, 1973, it was just four months later when dad piled mother Ramona, and me and my siblings Kathy, Tim, Marty, and Beth in the Chrysler station-wagon and hit the gas pedal to see what Disney World- East had to offer.

Just as fashions repeat themselves every 20 – 30 years and home décor makes us think "déjà vu" home canning is currently enjoying resurgence. Noticeably, food preservation questions have increased the past couple of years at the Extension Office. Statistics point to more people gardening to help stretch the food dollar. When those gardens produce more than a family can enjoy eating fresh, then canning, freezing or drying food is explored.

We made it through the Barton County Fair with just a couple of really hot days. Some of the surrounding counties have not been that lucky. Our unused supplies have been returned to the storage area and we are back to our summer programming. Looking at my calendar I have an educational program titled, "Beat the Heat" which will be presented on Tuesday, July 28th at 1 p.m. at the Great Bend Senior Center.

Showy, elegant, and easy are terms that describe bearded iris flowers, and because they grow so well in the heartland, it's a good idea to divide them every few years, according to Kansas State University horticulturist, Ward Upham.

When a disaster strikes, what do we need? First aid, emergency help, transportation, supplies, and more. Maybe we also need something to lift our spirits, in the way that only a good dog can do. Today we'll meet a remarkable Kansan whose dog's role in disaster recovery has taken him into print, across the nation and beyond.

July 19, 2015|
By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State Un
|Local Life